So Much For First Impressions
by AriaMizakiSaryia
Summary: Rosalind Hofstadter moves to Pasadena California to live with her brother and his roommate for a short time while she tries to get her Acting career off the ground and further her music career. But what happens when Rose and Sheldon meet for the first time? Will their first impressions of each other keep them from ever getting along? To quote Rose: "So Much For First Impressions"
1. Chapter 1

"Yeah… Okay… Okay, I'll see you when I get through the gates. Bye." Smiling, Rosalind hung up her phone and adjusted the strap of her messenger bag which hung snugly over her shoulder. As much as she loved her older brother, he could be way too overprotective sometimes.

Rosalind, or Rose as she preferred to be called, slowly made her way through the airport. The lines dragged on for what seemed like forever, which irritated her to no end. All she wanted to do was see her brother Leonard, whom she hadn't seen for five years now. She had only been able to talk to him on the phone, or video chat with him every once in a while when their schedules happened to afford them the time. Rose's irritation quickly faded when a mess of brown hair and glasses perched precariously on a nose caught her eye.

"Lenny!" Rose grinned, calling out to her brother who stood next to the front doors before rushing over to him.

"Rose!" Leonard laughed, spinning his sister in a circle while she laughed with him.

Leonard and Rosalind Hofstadter, though siblings, couldn't have been more different from each other sometimes. While Leonard was always awkwardly sweet and polite, Rose was blatantly rude to those she didn't like. Leonard was short while Rose was tall. Rose pursued the arts of Music and Acting, while Leonard pursued the 'art' of Experimental Physics. But despite all of their differences, there was no mistaking the two for anything but siblings. Both wore somewhat blocky black glasses, and were both in love with Comic Books and such. They grew up playing Superhero when they were little, and then reenacting their favorite scenes from their comic books. Rose always had to be the villain though; Leonard wouldn't let her be anything else.

"I've missed you so much Lenny!" Squeezing her brother tightly, Rose pulled away with a smile as she adjusted the bag on her shoulder.

"I've missed you too. Come on, I already put your bags in the car. Penny's really excited to meet you." Leonard ushered Rose out the doors of the airport, and she bit her lip nervously. This was the first time she would be meeting her brother's girlfriend.

"W-Wait! Leonard, you know how I am with new people!" She hissed, falling silent when they approached a pretty blonde woman that was leaning against what Rose assumed was Leonard's car.

"Don't worry. She's going to love you." Leonard smiled brightly, pushing his sister forward as Penny pushed off of the car and walked towards them with a smile.

"Hi! I'm Penny, and you're Rosalind right? Leonard's told me so much about you, I feel like I know you already." Penny came forward and hugged Rose tightly, catching her completely by surprise.

"Umm… Thanks. You know, it's hard to believe you're my brother's girlfriend. I mean, he's not exactly Prince Charming." Rose smiled, relaxing as Penny laughed at her words. She had a feeling they would become close friends, despite Rose's first instincts to run from the scene.

A few hours later, they arrived at the apartment building where Leonard lived with Penny and his roommate Sheldon. Rose had never met Sheldon before, unless you counted the five seconds she saw him when Leonard was video chatting with him when had gone to visit his Mother and Rose about six years before. Upon entering the building, Rose immediately headed towards the elevator, but stopped when Leonard grabbed onto her arm.

"Elevator's broken. Long story." Penny announced, and Rose quietly frowned as she followed them up quite a few flights of stairs.

"Leonard, you should have let me carry at least one of my suitcases." Rose sighed, shaking her head at her brother as he paused in front of a door marked 4A.

"Nah, I-I got it." He wheezed, and Rose pulled his inhaler from his bag pocket and handed it to him with a smirk.

"Come on Wheezy. Breathe it up." Taking the key from his hand, she unlocked the apartment door and opened it widely.

"Sheldon! Come help Leonard with his sister's bags."Penny called out, sitting on the couch with a lazy yawn. Rose laughed slightly at Penny's behavior, and set her bag on the left side of the couch, barely hearing Leonard's wheezy protests as she did so.

"And why on earth would I do that, Penny?" A slightly annoyed voice rang through the room, and Rose turned her head to see a very tall man enter the room from the direction of the hall.

"Because it's considered polite to help your Roommate. Wouldn't that be found in some way or another in your Roommate Agreement?" Penny shot back, and Rose chuckled. Life definitely wouldn't be dull here, of that she was sure.

Piercing cobalt blue eyes met the stormy grey depths of Rose's eyes, and Sheldon was momentarily stunned. He allowed himself to wonder who the creature in front of him was. Raising her hand in silent greeting, Rose walked over to the white board off to the side and snorted lightly. "What's all this mumbo jumbo?" Rose remarked before Leonard could stop her. Little did Rose know, she had just called Sheldon's board on String Theory mumbo jumbo.

"…" Glaring silently at Rose, Sheldon, Rose assumed, moved and grabbed one of Rose's suitcases from Leonard who had finally stopped wheezing long enough to enter the apartment.

"Thanks. I can take it from here though if you just point me to my room." Rose remarked, stepping forward and reaching to take the suitcase from his hands.

"My mother raised me to be a gentleman, and to never ignore a damsel in distress, even those who may not be intelligent enough to recognize such chivalry." He remarked calmly, and Rose felt her jaw drop. Who the hell did this guy think he was?

"I'll have you kn-" Rose started to reprimand him, her anger fueled by her outrage when Leonard quickly clamped his hand over her mouth.

"She appreciates it Sheldon." He quickly stated and Rose narrowed her eyes before biting firmly down on her brother's hand.

"I certainly do not!" She growled, glaring at Sheldon's back as he disappeared down the hall.

"Look, Rose. With Sheldon you kind of just have to roll with the punches. He's not exactly socially adept." Leonard explained and she shook her head furiously.

"No. That's not okay. I am not going to just sit here and let him insult me like that." Penny stood and motioned for Leonard to step back.

"Honey, I know exactly how you feel. I was the same way when I first moved in across the hall. But once you get to know him? He wasn't insulting you. Or at least he wasn't trying to. He was just a little hurt that you called his board mumbo jumbo. That's just how he is, really." Penny tried to soothe Rose's frazzled nerves and Rose took a deep breath.

"Fine. But I won't let it slide next time." She sighed, running her hand through her brown tresses before throwing it up into a tight ponytail. Whenever Rose was stressed out, she had to pull her hair back from her face. It helped her to think. It was also a tell that she was seriously irritated, as Leonard knew all too well. During their childhood he had been witness to that reaction many a time. Forcing a smile, Rose picked her bag up off the couch and took its place on the far left end.

Settling in to the cushions, Rose yawned loudly. "I think I might take a quick power nap guys. Jet lag is starting to catch up with me." She murmured softly, her eyes already starting to drift closed. It seemed she had just started to sleep when an irritating voice cut through her consciousness.

"You're in my seat."


	2. Chapter 2

"Oh really? I didn't see your name on it." Rose remarked without even opening her eyes, a slight tick forming in Sheldon's forehead when she spoke.

"Here we go again." Leonard groaned and Rose felt him sit down on the couch beside her.

"Nevertheless that is my seat." Sheldon repeated himself and Rose snapped her eyes open with an irritated sigh. Was this man really going to start a fight with her over a spot on the couch?

"And I say that you can't own a seat! Besides, wasn't it my brother who bought this couch in the first place?" Rose retorted sharply, getting to her feet in a huff.

"She's got a point there Sheldon." Penny laughed, laying her head on Leonard's shoulder as Rose glared up at Sheldon. Even though Rose was used to being one of the tallest out of all her friends, when she stood up in front of Sheldon, the top of her head reached only to his chest. She realized with surprise, that it was a slightly nice feeling, having to look up at somebody for once instead of down.

"Alright you two, stop acting like two year olds. Rosalind just sit on the chair please." Leonard gave his sister a pointed look and Rose bit her lip to keep herself from bursting out again.

"Fine." Rose snatched her bag up off of the floor and sat down in the chair Leonard had pointed to. She knew when to keep from arguing with Leonard. Her brother had a way of making her feel guilty with just a look.

"See? I knew you two could get along." Leonard muttered sarcastically, and Rose stuck her tongue out at him, earning a laugh from Penny in the process.

"Anyways, Leonard tells me you're a Musician Rose. What instrument do you play?" Penny asked, obviously trying to diffuse some of the tension in the room.

"Does it matter? What kind of beneficial contribution to society could a musician make?" Sheldon announced and Rose felt her fists clenched tightly of their own accord.

Leonard groaned and glanced at Sheldon with a withering look. Sheldon had long made his opinion on musicians clear. If it wasn't fit for Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, or Firefly? He thought them untalented and ridiculous.

"He just had to say it. Here we go again." Leonard sighed heavily, and Rose shot him a withering look before turning to the infuriating man on the couch.

"I _**contribute**_ plenty. My music speaks to people. It makes them feel. It makes them… I can't explain. But no one can say that music is unimportant. Without music… Life is meaningless. Though I'm sure someone like _**you **_wouldn't understand the true meaning of music. To do that requires actual emotions." Rose growled, surging to her feet as she glared up at the absolutely irritating man before her.

Anyone who thought of music in that way-like Sheldon that was- was inhuman and incapable of emotions in Rose's opinion.

"Are you saying I have no emotions? Oh but I can assure you: I feel an enormous amount of sadness for you. To blindly believe in something that has no reliable scientific evidence to back it up, is quite a sad thing. I almost feel pity." Sheldon stated calmly as he stared down at the woman before him. Rose's self-control snapped. Again.

"Scientific evidence? What are you? A robot? Music isn't about science. Music is about feeling. It's about expressing yourself. I-" Rose began to gesture wildly with her hands as she spoke, her face bright red with frustration.

"Rose…" Leonard's voice cut through her tirade, and Rose pulled back only because she heard his voice. Grasping her bag tightly in her hands, Rose pursed her lips.

"Obviously there's no arguing with you. There's no better nature to appeal to anyways. If you need me, I'll be at the comic book store down the street." Slinging her messenger bag over her shoulder, Rose stormed out the door, barely registering the fact that someone was following her.

At that point Rose didn't care.

Nobody had ever frustrated her or made her that angry before. Normally she was in complete control of her emotions, no matter how angry she got. But within two seconds of meeting Sheldon Cooper? He had made Rose lose the control she had worked so hard to place upon herself and her actions in the past few years. Ever since that day… "No! Don't think about it Rose." She sighed heavily to herself.

"He… Ugh! Just don't even think about him Rose! He's not worth the effort." Rose muttered to herself. But even though she said that, Rose couldn't stop thinking about him and how irritating he was. She kept wondering how her brother had put up with that infuriating voice for all these years.

"Rose!" Recognizing Penny's voice, Rose stopped mid-stride and turned around to face her as Penny came running up to her.

"Join me for lunch? Leonard's treat." Penny grinned, hooking her arm through Rose's as she waved Leonard's debit card in front of her.

"Oh, that's my favorite kind of treat." Rose felt her irritation sliding away as Penny began to lead her down the street, towards a favorite restaurant of hers. Maybe this day wouldn't end as irritating as it had started for Rose.

-Back At The Apartment-

"Sheldon, was it really necessary for you to antagonize my sister like that?" Leonard sighed heavily, leaning back on the kitchen counter while Sheldon went about making himself a sandwich for lunch.

"I don't see how anything I said could have been antagonizing. I was merely stating that musicians do not contribute anything beneficial to the world. If anything, she was antagonizing me with her inadequate argument." Sheldon stated, frowning slightly when he felt a strange tightening in his chest at the thought of Leonard's sister.

He had felt the same strange sensation when he had entered the room and saw her for the first time. The way her long brown hair hung around her face, her eyes framed in such a way that they appeared intense to anyone who looked at her… Shaking his head, Sheldon was beyond frustrated as he finished making his sandwich. How dare this woman come into their lives and just mess everything up.

"And I told you how Rose gets about music. It's her life, Sheldon. Could you try to get along with her? Please? She's my little sister. She's all I got." Pulling Sheldon's plate away from him, Leonard glared up at his friend, the seriousness in his eyes catching Sheldon off guard.

"…I promise nothing if she starts it." Taking his sandwich back from Leonard, Sheldon went and sat back down on the couch.

Watching his roommate sit down with his sandwich, Leonard sighed again and checked his watch. Penny was going to keep Rose out of the building until everything was set up for tonight, and everyone had arrived. That gave Leonard about three hours to set up Rose's room, decorate the living room, and somehow convince Sheldon to play nice with his sister. It was going to be one long night that was for sure.


	3. Chapter 3

"I can't believe Leonard didn't tell me you were an aspiring actress!" Penny exclaimed, her arm hooked through Rose's as they walked back to the apartment. Rose couldn't believe how much Leonard **_had_** told Penny about her.

"Almost too much…" Rose thought to herself, jumping slightly when her phone began to ring, the Star Trek theme playing out.

"Like brother, like sister. That's Leonard's ringtone for you as well." Penny laughed and Rose's cheeks lit up a little out of embarrassment.

"Hello?" Rose answered the phone without even looking at the caller ID. She didn't need to. Only one person had that ring tone.

"Leonard, we're almost back to the apartment. I'm sure whatever you have to say can wait." Rose laughed quietly, stiffening when a male voice filtered through the phone. That was definitely not her brother.

"Rosalind. Leonard wished me to tell you that he needs you and Penny to go and pick up Rajesh Koothrappali, and Howard Wolowitz from the Comic book store." Sheldon spoke into the phone stiffly, and Rose felt her fists clench tightly as the irritation from earlier began to seep back.

"Fine. Is there anything else, Sheldon?" Rose said through gritted teeth, and just about threw her phone when Sheldon responded to her question.

"Actually yes. Only friends may call me Sheldon. To someone like you, I am Dr. Cooper. That will be all." He stated in a robotic tone, and Rose screamed into the phone before hanging up. Penny stared at the woman beside her in slight shock. What on earth had Sheldon done to make her scream like that?

"Ugh! I can't believe him! Someone like me, indeed!" Rose hissed under her breath, before sliding her phone back into her pocket.

"Come on. Leonard wants us to pick up Raj and Howard from the Comic Book store." Rose took a deep breath as she tried to calm herself.

Not only was **_Dr. Cooper_** utterly incorrigible, he had assumed that she didn't know who Raj and Howard were. Before she moved there, Leonard had told her all about everyone. Everyone that is, except for Sheldon. How on earth could he not have told her how annoying the man could be? Well, one thing was for sure. No way was she going to let Sheldon get the best of her- not if she had anything to say about it.

-a few minutes later-

Penny and Rose entered the Comic Book shop and Rose immediately felt right at home. "Oh, hey Penny. Who's this?" A slightly gangly man came up to the girls, and Rose looked him over. He wasn't unattractive that was for sure.

"I'm Rose, Leonard's little sister." Rose introduced herself and shook the man's hand firmly, catching him completely off guard. He wasn't used to women shaking his hand, much less touching him at all.

"Rose, this is Stuart. He runs the Comic Book store." Penny explained, smiling insinuatingly. She was going to play a little Cupid with these two. Rose could use a nice guy like Stuart, and Stuart could definitely benefit from at least flirting with a girl. Laughing quietly to herself, Penny excused herself and went to stand beside Raj and Howard on the other side of the store.

"Hey Penny, who's that girl?" Howard asked, and Penny quickly shushed him.

"Shh! I'm trying to listen to their conversation." Penny announced, pretending to be looking at comics while trying to eavesdrop on Rose's and Stuart's conversation.

"Uh... Isn't that Leonard's little sister?" Raj stated, though it was more of a question than anything else.

"Woah! She's definitely grown up in the past five years." Howard grunted when Penny jabbed him the stomach with her elbow.

"Off limits. You're married, remember?" Penny put a finger to her lips and continued trying to listen in once she had Howard properly shut up.

"So you like Aquaman?" Stuart asked incredulously, and Rose couldn't help but laugh.

"Yes I do! And don't you say a word against him, he is amazing." Rose grinned, blushing slightly when Stuart bravely reached forward and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Alright, I cave before the mighty power of Aquaman's biggest fan." Stuart couldn't believe what he did then: He winked at her. He was flirting. With a girl. Dear God, maybe things were finally looking up for him.

"Good. Now that I have you under my power: How about we get some dinner tomorrow night?" Rose asked, taking the pen off of the counter and writing her number confidently on Stuart's hand.

After receiving a shaky and surprised yes from Stuart, Rose said goodbye to him and strode over to Penny and the boys. "Hey guys. You must be Raj and Howard, right? I'm Rose. Leonard's little sister." Rose smiled, her mood lifted considerably after talking to Stuart.

-at the apartment-

"SURPRISE!" Rose jumped when she entered the apartment, and a group of people jumped out at her, catching her completely off guard.

"It's a bit of Welcome party for you Rose." Leonard smiled, explaining the situation to his sister who hugged him tightly.

"Thank you Leonard! You're so sweet! Maybe you deserve Penny, just a little bit." Rose teased, squeezing her brother's hand before turning to face the room.

Though she didn't recognize many of the people in the room, they recognized her. It was a small group, but Rose still felt slightly overwhelmed. After a little while of mingling, Rose excused herself and she stepped into the first bedroom she came to, taking a deep breath as she closed the door behind her. Sighing slightly, Rose pushed off of the door and began exploring the room a little. This couldn't be Leonard's room that was for sure. There were posters of Firefly around the room, and Leonard couldn't stand that show. So this had to be Sheldon's room. Leaning forward, Rose had just reached out to pick up one of the comic books that lay on the shelf when a firm hand grabbed her shoulder, scaring her.

"What are you doing in here?" Turning to face who had scared her, Rose felt a strange tingle run along her spine when she looked up into the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen. Shaking her head, Rose tried to shake Sheldon's hand off of her shoulder, and glared at him when he refused to move it.

"I will ask only once more. What are you doing in my room?" Sheldon asked, eerily calm as he stared down at Rose. He felt that odd tightening in his chest once more and his stomach felt slightly queasy when she looked him dead in the eyes.

"I was getting sensory overload, alright? I don't' do well for long periods of time with big groups of people. So I excused myself and your room just happened to be the one I entered. But I'm fine now." Rose responded confidently, reaching up and forcibly removing his hand from her shoulder.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have a party to get back to." Rose really didn't want to go back to the party. In fact she felt more comfortable here, glaring at Sheldon, than she did out there with all those people. But she wouldn't let him know that.

Taking a deep breath, Rose reached out to grab hold of the doorknob when Sheldon interrupted her again. "…Take this. It helps with anxiety in large crowds. It has been scientifically proven that these help reduce anxiety and stress." He muttered, refusing to look down at her as he handed her what appeared to be a small stress ball.

Pursing her lips, Rose nodded at him in thanks, wondering how on earth he had known just how not okay she was. Exiting the room, Rose closed the door behind her and felt that same strange feeling in her chest as she leaned back against the door. Rose shook her head, trying to clear her head as she pushed off of the door and walked back towards the party.


	4. Chapter 4

The morning after the party was a quiet one for Rose. She woke up before the others and quietly went to get a bowl of cereal. "What kind of crap is this?" Rose muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes when she realized that the cereal was organized by fiber content. Seriously? Who did that?

Rose quickly found a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and started eating. She had a lot of unpacking to do today, and an audition to prepare for tonight after her date with Stuart. She realized with a start that she should probably tell Leonard that she was going out for dinner tonight. Yawning, Rose tilted the bowl towards her and took a drink of the milk left on the bottom before dumping the rest into the sink. "What a waste of milk." That annoyingly familiar voice drifted towards her and Rose felt her fist clench instinctively.

Sheldon wrapped his robe more snugly around him as he walked into the living room and again felt his chest tighten when Rose turned to glare at him. "…I have to leave now, Dr. Cooper. Would you mind telling Leonard I won't be home for dinner tonight?" Rose said through gritted teeth, flipping her hair forward as she bent over and quickly pulled her long brown tresses into a ponytail. Seeing her bare neck caused that strange tingle to run along his spine again.

"And why not? Leonard was most looking forward to having dinner with you tonight." Sheldon asked, looking into the sink to see that she had not even properly cleaned out her bowl. How infuriating!

"Not that it's any of your business, but I have a date tonight. I'm getting dinner with the guy I met at the comic book store yesterday. Look, I have to go and pick up my script for my audition tomorrow, so I won't be home until around three o'clock. Just… tell Leonard, alright?" Rose sighed heavily, snatching her bag up from the chair she had abandoned it on before breakfast. Ignoring the rest of Sheldon's questions Rose walked out of the apartment and tucked her key into the bag. She definitely had better things to worry about than what Sheldon Cooper thought of her.

-A few hours later-

"Does this not worry you Leonard? Your sister is going on a date with a man she only met yesterday, and may very well have coitus with." Sheldon stated, completely taken aback by his friends' complete lack of concern that Rosalind was going on a date with a complete stranger.

"No, I am not worried Sheldon. Rose is a smart girl who can take care of herself. I learned the hard way that it's best to not interfere with her relationships." Leonard sighed, shaking his head in irritation when Sheldon refused to drop the subject.

"For the last time Sheldon: I am not worried! Besides, why do you even care? You two have been at each other's throats since she arrived!" Leonard asked, his voice laced with exasperation.

Leonard's question took Sheldon off guard and he was silent for a moment."I do not care myself. I am simply stating that as Rosalind is now living with us, and it would be inconvenient for us and our sleeping habits if she was to bring this man back to the apartment."

Leonard's retort was cut short when a knock on the door caught both him and Sheldon by surprise. It was a Saturday, and they normally didn't have anyone over until Raj and Howard came over at around noon. Shuffling over to the door, Leonard opened it with a confused smile. "Stuart? What are you doing here?" He asked, letting Stuart in hesitantly.

"Didn't Rose tell you? We um… We have a date tonight." Stuart smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as Leonard and Sheldon stared at him in shock.

"Wait… You're the one Rose is having dinner with tonight?" Leonard asked slowly, not sure that he had heard correctly. Stuart… On a date? With Rose?

"Well you should feel completely reassured now Leonard. Rosalind's virtue and our sleeping habits have been spared." Sheldon's voice was tight, though only Leonard heard it. It was a spiting remark, and it was out of character for Sheldon. Leonard made a note to talk to him later.

"Um… Anyways. I was wondering, would you mind telling me what kind of food she likes? I was thinking maybe just have a little picnic in the comic book store. She said she felt at home and at ease there yesterday." Stuart remarked, wringing his hands nervously in front of him.

"Um nothing spicy I guess. She likes Chinese food, if that helps." Leonard suggested, finding it slightly awkward talking about his sister as a date for Stuart.

"Great. Thanks Leonard. I'm really nervous about this… especially considering she asked me out!" Stuart chuckled nervously, and rubbed the back of his neck once more. He had a tendency to do that when he was really nervous.

Sheldon stiffened and stood from his seat on the couch, nodding curtly at Stuart and Leonard before excusing himself from the room. "What's his problem?" Stuart asked, finally noticing the tension hanging in the room.

-3:00 P.M.-

Stomach grumbling, Rose entered the apartment and called out into the back. "I'm home! Leonard, you here?"

"Ah, if it isn't the lovely Rosalind Hofstadter. What a pleasure to see you again." The door shut behind Rose and she turned to face the man behind her.

"Firstly: You're married. Secondly: I have a date tonight. Sorry." Rose rolled her eyes and patted the shorter man, Howard, on the head as she placed her messenger bag on the kitchen counter.

"Hey Raj, how's it going?" Rose called out to Raj as he entered the room, laughing when his eyes simply went wide and ducked his head down.

"Okay… have either of you seen Leonard? Or Penny? I need help getting ready for my date tonight." Yawning slightly, Rose pulled a slice of pizza from the fridge and put it in the microwave to reheat. Thank God for leftover pizza.

"Uh… Raj says Penny's over in her apartment with Leonard. Something about Sex and the City?" Howard relayed Raj's whispered words, and Rose laughed loudly.

"Oh poor poor Leonard. I guess I'll go and save my brother from the endless torture that is Penny's favorite show." Rose pulled her plate out of the microwave and took a bite of the delicious oily goodness that was Cheese Pizza. Unlike Leonard, Rose wasn't lactose intolerant and could eat as much dairy as she wanted, something that she constantly flaunted in her brother's face.

Pizza in one hand and a bottle of Coca-Cola in the other, Rose walked across the hall and kicked Penny's apartment door. "Penny! I need advice from someone who has actually had a date in the past two years! So my brother isn't the best person to ask!"

Moments later the door was opened by a slightly annoyed Leonard. "Not that it's any of your business, but I have had a date in the past two years. More than one. Thank you." He remarked and Rose simply laughed, ruffling his hair as she walked past him.

"Sure you have honey." Penny gave Leonard a kiss on the cheek and then settled down in the seat beside Rose.

"Now, let's talk about the essentials for a date. Now, you never know what is going to happen, so always have two things with you for sure: Pepper Spray. And Condoms." Penny announced and Leonard groaned loudly. He did not just hear his girlfriend telling his sister to be prepared to have sex.

"I did not need to hear that. I'm out of here. Have fun on your date Rose." Leonard sighed, ruffling his sister's hair in payback before kissing Penny and leaving the apartment. Dear God he loved Penny but sometimes… She was something else, that was for sure.

-Later that night-

Rose nervously stepped out of Penny's apartment, having borrowed a dress from her, and wiped her hands on the back of the dress. While she had definitely been on a date before, she had never been this nervous. Maybe it was because she had been like Penny, dating guys who were complete idiots, and she knew it. Glancing down at her watch, Rose realized she actually had thirty minutes to kill before Stuart was set to pick her up downstairs.

Leonard had sent her a message earlier that he would be over at Raj's with the guys for most of the night.

Which meant the apartment was completely empty.

Grinning impishly, Rose scurried into the apartment and quickly found her guitar and pick. Playing music always calmed her down. Quietly strumming along, she never heard the door open before she began to sing.


	5. Chapter 5

Sheldon stood in the doorway to the apartment completely caught off guard at the beautiful music being played inside. Closing the door softly behind him, Sheldon was unsure what to do in that situation. Should he announce his presence, and likely awaken the wrath of Rosalind? Or should he simply slip back into his room before she could notice him? Before he could make a decision however, Rosalind began to sing, her tone energetic and passionate as she strummed a song on the guitar that Sheldon was unfamiliar with.

"_**I wake up every evening**_

_**With a big smile on my face**_

_**And it never feels out of place**_

_**And you're still probably working**_

_**At a nine to five pace**_

_**I wonder how bad that tastes**_

_**When you see my face **_

_**Hope it gives you hell**_

_**Hope it gives you hell**_

_**When you walk my way**_

_**Hope it gives you hell**_

_**Hope it gives you hell" **_

Her voice seemed to put Sheldon in a trance. That strange feeling in his chest returned once more- it was starting to become familiar to him at that point- and he shook his head to try and shake it away. Whatever it was, he would not allow it to make him stand there gaping like a rocket scientist.

"Did you find something worth criticizing in my art of choice now, _**Dr. Cooper**_?" Rose's scathing voice cut Sheldon out of his trance-like state and he felt a surge of irritation fill him once more.

"Oh nothing of much note. Though one could hardly consider wasting time on trying to improve what you call art." Sheldon retorted. The cold look that entered Rosalind's eyes at his words however… If looks could kill? Sheldon felt he would be dead a hundred times over.

"If you'll excuse me, I have a date to be getting to. With someone who, unlike you, has some semblance of manners. Goodnight, _**Dr. Cooper**_." Rose stood from the couch with a huff, quickly putting her guitar back on its stand by the TV before snatching her bag from the counter where she had deposited it earlier.

"Oh yes, your _**date**_." Sheldon snorted with derision, stopping Rose with her hand on the doorknob.

"And what do you mean by that?" Rose voice was ice cold and she turned to face Sheldon with daggers in her eyes.

"Oh nothing. Just Leonard was worried that your virtue may have been in danger, but then we learned your date was Stuart. We are completely reassured of the safety of your virtue now." Sheldon chuckled to himself and before he knew what was happening Rose was up in his face.

"My _**virtue**_ is none of your damn business you bastard! Who knows, maybe Stuart and I _**will**_ have sex tonight. He definitely stands a better chance of getting lucky than you ever will!" Rose jabbed her finger into Sheldon's chest, her anger making her face bright red as she yelled at him. Just as she pulled her hand back, fully ready to slap him, Sheldon grabbed onto her wrist suddenly causing her to lose her balance.

As Sheldon had a firm grip on Rose's wrist, he couldn't free himself in time to avoid falling himself. Rose yelped and braced herself for the hard impact she was sure to come, when suddenly she felt herself being twisted in mid-air before landing on top of Sheldon. The southern gentleman in Sheldon wouldn't allow Rose to be harmed when he could stop it, and that was why he had instinctively placed himself in harm's way for her. A warm sensation on her lips shocked Rose into opening her eyes and pulling back from an equally shocked Sheldon. In the fall, the way Rose had fallen on top of Sheldon had positioned their heads just right so that their lips had crashed together. The two of them simply stared at one another for a moment before the reality of the situation hit Rose fully. Scrambling off of him, Rose's face was bright red as she snatched her bag from the floor and made a beeline out the door. Slamming the door behind her, Rose leaned back against it for a moment as she held her fingers gently to her lips.

"Dear god… did that really just happen?" Rose groaned to herself as she began the climb down the stairs.

-later that night-

"Your argument is invalid! No matter what you say, Aquaman is the best superhero of them all. Well him and Batman that is." Rose laughed, shoving Stuart's shoulder lightly as she smiled up at him flirtatiously.

"And I'm telling you that there is no way Aquaman is better than Superman. I mean come on! He can only solve crimes in the water, Rose!" Stuart shook his head as he laughed along with Rose, part of him in utter shock. He was on a date. With a real girl. And it was going _**well**_.

"And everything about Superman defies logic! At least with Aquaman you have some semblance of logic. Yes he can only fight crimes in the water, but that is logical as the sea is his domain. Superman just sticks his nose in everyone else's business." Arguing with Stuart, Rose took a sip of the wine Stuart had brought and nonchalantly placed her hand on top of his, giggling slightly at the blush it brought to his cheeks.

Placing her glass back on the blanket, Rose slid closer to Stuart and smiled up at him, capturing his attention completely. Stuart stared down at Rose's full lips, wondering what it would be like to kiss them. Leaning in slightly, he waited a moment to see if she would push him away, like every other girl he had ever known, but there she was.

"Stop stalling and just kiss me you idiot."


End file.
